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Tougher laws needed for peepers
By Senator Mike "Citizen Mike" Folmer

This letter is in response to the outcry from the Daily News, as well as many area residents, for tougher laws to deal with serial peepers such as Chris Krpata.  

While it may be the case that some individuals in our society have a psychological condition which makes them prone to committing certain offenses, law-abiding citizens are still entitled to adequate protection from those who would commit these offenses. A balance, then, must be struck between compassion within our judicial system for those with psychological disorders, and a necessity to protect society through the penal code.   

The saga of serial peeper Chis Krpata has exposed an imbalance that is leaning too far away from the need to protect the citizenry through adequate punishment of perpetrators.  

The problem is two-fold. First, state law currently does not allow for an increase in grading for repeat offenses of peeping. Pennsylvania does have a "Three Strikes rule" similar to California's, but with one critical distinction – it does not apply to non-violent incidents of invasion of privacy, or peeping. Therefore, Mr. Krpata's third conviction for peeping was looked at no differently in the eyes of the law than his first conviction for peeping: both were treated as third degree misdemeanors punishable by a maximum jail term of one year, and a fine of up to $2,500. 

The second part of the problem is that we do not have mandatory minimum sentencing in Pennsylvania. The lack of mandatory minimum sentencing is what allows perpetrators to occasionally get a "slap on the wrist."  

Therefore, there should be an increase in grading for repeat offenses of peeping, and mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines need to be established. If a judge feels obliged to demonstrate compassion toward a convict due to a psychological disorder, so be it – the judge can hand down the mandatory minimum sentence, which in all likelihood would be tougher than a mere slap on the wrist.  

It is important that Pennsylvanians are truly protected by the law.